Shai Jacob

Thank you all for the ideas. I'll be mulling them over for the next couple of months until fall. I should have mentioned that I'm in zone 7. We have a deep silty loam. The area is very wet in the spring until about May. Every so often we have a drought summer, and even when we don't the ground dries up in the summer. So I need something that can tolerate both wet soil and drought. It doesn't have to be evergreen, though I like the idea of layering in an evergreen. Also, i'm planning to move, (though I don't know if that's next year or 5 years from now). So, it would be nice to have something I can get cuttings or transplants for my new property which will be in the Ozarks, a soil that tends to be rocky and dry. That makes it tough. Sometimes, you just can't have everything, right?

S Bengi wrote:Privet


Check out some other ideas, let me know which one you like the best.
https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/the-best-10-plants-to-grow-for-backyard-privacy-50057#arborvitae-hedge-in-the-backyard

Thanks Bengi. I do love the smell of Privet, and I love that it grows fast and offers great privacy. I will keep it in mind, though I'm looking for something that offers a second use for us, such as food or fuel or building materials.

Eric Hanson wrote:Hi Shai,

I have a living hedge that I trim up every year or two in order to make woodchips.  I own about 3 acres of woodland and 6 acres open, but I just cannot bring myself to haul much in the way of wood out of my woods.  But my hedgerow is actually invasive and needs trimming to prevent it from taking over my grass lands.

I guess I am thinking that your bamboo is more multi functional than you might think.

You could plant sweetshoot bamboo and eat the early shoots while you control the growth.

Another hedge that comes to mind are blueberry bushes.  They grow about 6’ tall, look beautiful and give you plenty of berries.

These are just a couple of thoughts,

Eric

Thanks Eric. I checked out your Bamboo suggestion, and it looks promising. We are fortunate to have many huckleberry bushes around us. But your post did broaden my perspective. I started remembering how much I love to eat rosehips. I think we could start eating from them the 2nd year, like blueberries. Any tips on roses?

I'm on 2 acreas in a ruralish area. I want to convert my lawn to food, but I want some privacy in the garden. My yard 100' x 75' with the long side being on the road. I thought about planting bamboo. I've used it in the past for trellising, and I'm always thinking of uses for it and wishing I had some. However, it seems less practical to plant bamboo when I already have access to over 1.5 acres of woods. (BTW I am well aware of the risks of planting bamboo, and I would plant with some kind of barrier. )

Is there another plant that will provide privacy while perhaps giving food? I would like to be able to benefit from this living screen within a year or two, as I do not know how long we will be at this property.

Thanks!